(A)
Medical Physicist Initial Qualifications. A Medical
Physicist is qualified to be employed in a mammography facility if he or she:
(1) Is currently registered with the
Department as a Medical Physicist; and
(2) Is certified by one of the following:
1. the American Board of Radiology in
Diagnostic Radiological Physics, Diagnostic Medical Physics, Imaging Physics,
or Radiological Physics;
2. the
American Board of Medical Physics in Diagnostic Radiological Physics,
Diagnostic Medical Physics, Imaging Physics, or Radiological Physics;
or
3. another certifying body in an
equivalent specialty area acceptable to the Department; and
(3) Holds a master's degree or
higher in a physical science with no less than 20 semester hours in physics.
Appropriate fields include those physical sciences accepted by the American
College of Radiology, American Board of Radiology, and the American Board of
Medical Physics; and
(4) Has 20
contact hours of specialized training in conducting mammography facility
surveys; and
(5) Has conducted
surveys of at least one mammography facility and at least ten mammography units
under the direct supervision of a qualified medical physicist.
(6) If the Medical Physicist was qualified
under the FDA interim regulations prior to April 28, 1999, the Medical
Physicist may be considered qualified to be employed if the physicist:
(a) Has a bachelor's degree or higher in a
physical science with no less than ten semester hours in physics;
(b) Has completed 40 contact hours of
documented specialized training in conducting surveys of mammography
facilities; and
(c) Has conducted
surveys of at least one mammography facility and a total of at least 20
mammography units. The training and experience requirements must be met after
fulfilling the degree requirement specified in 105 CMR
127.013(A)(6)(a).
(B)
Medical Physicist
Duties. The Medical Physicist shall be responsible for:
(1) Ensuring that the equipment meets the
standards set forth in
105 CMR
127.017;
(2) Establishing and conducting the ongoing
quality assurance program for the equipment as specified in
105 CMR
127.019(C); and
(3) Verifying in writing that the mammography
x-ray equipment is in safe operating condition and is being operated at optimum
performance criteria to yield the highest quality mammograms:
(a) When the equipment is first
installed;
(b) After any major
changes or replacement of parts;
(c) At least annually during use;
and
(d) When quality assurance
tests indicate that calibration is needed.
(C)
Medical Physicist Continuing
Qualifications. To continue to be employed at a mammography
facility, a Medical Physicist shall:
(1) Have
obtained or taught at least 15 hours of documented continuing medical education
in mammography physics in the last three-year period;
(2) Have surveyed at least two mammography
facilities and at least six mammography units in the last two-year period;
and
(3) Maintain a valid
Massachusetts registration.
(D)
Medical Physicist
Re-establishing Qualifications. Medical Physicists who fail to
maintain the required continuing qualifications in 105 CMR 127.013(C) may not
perform mammography surveys without the supervision of a qualified medical
physicist. Before independently surveying a facility, the medical physicist
must re-establish their qualifications, as follows:
(1) Medical Physicists who fail to meet the
continuing education requirements shall obtain a sufficient number of CEU's to
bring their total up to the required 15 hours in the previous three
years.
(2) Medical Physicists who
fail to survey enough facilities or units shall, under the direct supervision
of a qualified medical physicist, complete a sufficient number of surveys so
that they have surveyed at least two mammography facilities and six mammography
units in the previous 24 months.
(E)
New Mammography Modality
Training. Medical Physicists must receive at least eight hours of
training in surveying units of the new mammographic modality.
